Sure, origami might be the traditional Japanese art of paper folding that dates back to the 17th century. But in the hands of computer scientist and engineer Jun Mitani, the ancient art form has never been more modern.

When he’s not giving lectures on non-numerical processing algorithms and other subject I won’t even pretend to grasp, the PhD professor at Tsukuba University is using his background in precision machine engineering to create computer models and algorithms that generate complex, geometric origami patterns. And although his process is steeped in technology, the folding is done just as it was back in the 1600s – all by hand. I can’t even begin to imagine what that was like.

You might remember Mitani from 2 years ago when he collaborated with fashion designer Issey Miyake on a line of foldable, origami-like clothing.